Steamer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

A. A. BESEMER. STEAMER.

Patented Dec. 20, 1892.

Fl6 l (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2. A. A. BESEMER.

STEAMBR. No. 488,515. Patented Dec. 20, 1892.

ATENT rnica.

ANDREW A. BESEMER, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS.

STEAM ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,515, dated December20, 1892.

Application filed October 8, 1891. Serial No.408,139. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW A. BESEMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Steamer, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to stoves and furnaces, and more especially tothe steamers adapted to be used in connection therewith; and the objectof the same is to effect certain improvements in devices of thischaracter.

To this end the invention consists in the construction hereinafter morefully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the two sheets ofdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a general perspective view of one form ofthis device open. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of another formof the device closed. Fig. 3 is a similar section of the device shown inFig. 2 with the condenser removed, one shelf partially drawn out, andthe valve open. Fig 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the shelves of the device shown in Fig.1, showing the incline thereof. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of thisdevice closed, showing a slightly diiferent form of incline. Fig. 7 is aperspective detail of the condenser of Fig. 2 removed.

Referring to the said drawings, it will be seen that the casing of thisimproved steamer is rectangular and comprises vertical sidewalls 1having a vertical back.2 and an open front, a pan-shaped base 3 closingthe bottom of said casing, and a slightly conical top 4 preferablyhaving a central opening 5 which may be closed by a lid or may receive acoffee-pot 6 or other article. Within the base is located a reservoir 7which is annular, that is the walls of the base form the outer wall ofthe reservoir while its inner wall consists of a truncated cone 8 risingfrom the base near its flat bottom 9 and open as at 10 into the centerof the lower end of the casing. The

inner wall of the reservoir has several fine perforations 11 throughwhich water may pass slowly into the steam chamber 12, and a valve 13 isalso provided to permit a greater passage of water when desired, thehandle 14 of this valve extending to the outside of the device.

Within the body of the casing are located the shelves 20, of which theremaybe any desired number up to the limits of the capacity of the device.In Fig. 1 these shelves are shown as connected at their rear ends to asingle vertical back 21, but in Fig. 2 each shelf is independent and itsback 21 is connected with its body. The shelf in this case slides onledges 22 carried by the sides 1 of the casing, and its front end 23 hasa handle 24 by which this shelf can be drawn out independent of theother shelves. In Fig. 1, however, the ledges 22 are omitted, and asingle front 23 is connected with all the shelves and at its upper endwith the single back 21 by strips 22, a single handle 24 being in thiscase secured to the face of the front. The latter is supported whenwithdrawn by legs 25 as seen in Fig. 1, and at this time the single back21' closes the open front of the casing and prevents the escape ofsteam.

vIn Figs. 4 and 5 the front is shown as double, that is to say its innerwall 26 is spaced from its outer wall, and the lower end of this innerwall is inclined inwardly as at 27; with which construction, what steamrises from the steam chamber 12 and condenses on the inner face of saidinner wall, will run down the same and be directed by the incline 27back into the reservoir 7. In the device shown in Figs. 2 and 7,however, a condenser 30 serves this purpose. The said condensercomprises a plate bowed outwardly so as to cover the handles 24 when theseveral drawers are in place, and itself having a handle 24" by which itmay be lifted. The upper end of the condenser has a hook 31 fitting overa bead or ledge 32 along the front end of the top 4, and its lower endis open as at 33 and preferably is inclined as at 27 In this case thefront wall of the base 3 projects forward to such an extent that theupper end of the reservoir 7 at this point is extended under the openlower end 33 of the condenser; and hence the condensed steam runningdown the inner face of this condenser, will be directed back into thereservoir. This construction is preferable where the device is quitelarge and has several drawers, but the inner wall 26 and its incline 27shown in Fig. 5 serve practically the same purpose as the condenser justdescribed. The reservoir may be filled by removing the condenser 30, andin the construction shown in Fig. l the front wall of the base has alarge filling funnel 34B and a small overflow funnel 35 at a slightlylower level.

The condenser when in place closes the front of the casing; and thefront 23 performs the same function as the condenser 30 in condensingthe steam, and in directing the water resulting from condensation backto the reservoir.

In operation, the food to be steamed is placed on one or more of theshelves in open dishes, water is poured into the reservoir, and thesteamer is set on the stove. The water runs slowly through theperforations 11 onto the bottom 9 where it is converted into steam whichpasses up through the opening 10 and through the several shelves, whichI should have said are slatted as shown. If a coffeepot or other dish beseated in the top of the casing, the contents thereof will be kept warm.As the steam strikes the condenser, it is condensed and it travels downthe condenser back into the reservoir as will be obvious. This device isof sheet-metal and of any preferred size and ornamentation, andconsiderable change in the specific details thereof maybe made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention-one of which that occurs to meat this writing I have illustrated in Fig. 6. That is to say, instead ofgiving the incline 27 a considerable angle so as to direct the condensedsteam over the front wall of the base 3, as seen in Fig. 5, I make thisincline slightly funnel-shaped and locate the mouth of the funnel atsuch a point that it will stand over the filling orifice 3 f when thedevice is closed, as seen in Fig. 6.

What is claimed as new is- 1. A casing, shelves therein, and a steamchamber opening into the bottom of the easing and provided with apartition forming a reservoir; in combination with a condenser closingthe open front of the casing, removable therefrom, and connecting at itslower end with said chamber, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a casing having an open front, slatted shelves, asteam chamber opening into the bottom of the casing, a reservoirsurrounding the steam chamber and communicating therewith and with theinterior of the casing, and means for closing the front of the casing,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a casing having an open front, slatted shelves, abase arranged below the casing and containing a central steam chamberand having a surrounding reservoir each open at the top and a divisionwall between the two having perforations, a removable front for closingthe casing and a lid opening into the top of the casing, substantiallyas described.

4. A casing' having an open front, a base below said casing containing asteam chamber and a reservoir in front of said chamber both being openat the top, and communication between the reservoir and chamber; incombination with a number of slatted shelves, closed vertical back andfront connected at their upper ends by strips and secured to saidshelves, and a leg depending from said front, as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The combination with a rectangular casing having an open front, abase below said casing containing a steam chamber and a reservoir infront of the chamber and communicating therewith, both being open at thetop, of a number of slatted shelves, a hollow front connecting saidshelves and removably closing the front of the casing, a handle on theouter wall of said front, and an incline at the lower edge of its innerwall, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW A. BESEMER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM 0. OSBORN, FRANK M. GROUT.

